The Monster Inside
by Victoria-BlackHeart
Summary: Summary inside. I never said that I want this, this burden came to me, and it's made its home inside
1. Prologue

_Summary: Desmond was aware of the Bleeding Effect, but he wasn't aware of the Animus' other effects, like the voices in his head, the blackouts and the dark desires. The others kept it a secret from him, afraid that it would hurt him but now they're afraid that Desmond will hurt others. When people think you're crazy, who do you turn to? Another crazy: Daniel Cross._

* * *

"I think he's waking up."

His eyes blinked slowly, squinting at the bright light.

"Yeah you're right."

He slowly looked around, and saw four people around him, "Desmond, how are you feeling?"

Desmond blinked a few times, and his vision finally came into focus, "What...happened..." he asked, his voice hoarse. One of the people leaned down.

"You hit your head," she said, "We found you on the side of the road," Desmond looked around, and realized he was in a hospital room. He looked over and saw his father, William Miles, arms crossed, staring at his son. He saw Lucy Stillman next to him, a worried look on her face.

"How did you end up on the road?" the doctor asked, and Desmond frowned.

"I...I don't remember," he said.

"What do you remember?" the doctor asked.

"I remember being in my room, reading, and then...I woke up here," Desmond answered, and he saw Lucy glance at his father.

"How often does this happen?" the doctor asked.

"It's happened twice this past week," Desmond answered, and the doctor made a note of that on a clipboard.

After answering a few more questions, Desmond was released, and the three walked over to Bill's car. Desmond sat in the back while Lucy got in the passenger seat. Bill started the engine and began driving away.

"_Grazie a Dio_ that's over."

Desmond looked to his left, and saw his Italian ancestor, Ezio Auditore de Firenze, sitting next to him. Desmond blinked a few times, wondering if this was just a dream or a hallucination.

"At least we agree on something," a voice grumbled, and Desmond looked to his right. Sitting next to him, was the Syrian Master Assassin, Altaïr Ibn-La Ahad. His arms were crossed, and Desmond could only see the bottom half of his face, with the scar on his lip visible.

"I bet you're glad too, right _Signore _Desmond?"

"Desmond? Did you hear me?"

Desmond looked up, and saw Lucy turned around in her seat, "Are you feeling ok?" she asked.

"Uh yeah," Desmond answered, "Just tired," Lucy didn't say anything, and she turned around. Desmond leaned back, his head pounding.

_"_She's pretty _Signore_," Ezio said, nudging Desmond. Altaïr leaned around him.

"Is that all you ever think about? No wonder you're such a novice," he said, and Ezio glared at him.

"At least I have a heart. People make you seem like a _insensible mostro,_" Ezio snapped back.

"Would you two shut up?!" Desmond yelled, making Lucy and Bill jump. Bill stopped the car and turned around.

"Desmond we didn't say anything," his dad said, and Desmond looked at them.

"I...I need air," he mumbled, and opened the door, leaving the car. Lucy looked over at Bill.

"We need to tell him," she said, and Bill nodded, "It's only fair."

* * *

"That's him?"

Two figures watched as Desmond walked down the street, his hood up and hands in his pockets, "Yeah, that's him."

"He doesn't seem crazy, unlike you," the woman said, her auburn hair visible underneath the black hood. She had brown eyes, tanned skin, and was a slim build. She was wearing a black raincoat, a blue dress visible beneath it. The man looked over at her, his grey blue eyes narrowed. His blond hair was damp from the rain, and he had a hoop earring in his left ear, "Sorry. I should have used a better word."

They watched as Desmond looked over his shoulder, stopping, staring at something, "This is going to be fun," the man said, smirking. The woman glanced over, "Tell Vidic we'll have him soon."

* * *

_Sorry for the short prologue!_


	2. Chapter 1

Desmond shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked into the nearest bar. He walked over to the bar and sat down. He looked up, as the bartender came over, "What can I get you?" he asked, cleaning a glass.

"Rum and coke," Desmond answered, and the bartender began making it. Desmond shut his eyes, trying to focus on one thing, but it was difficult when he saw heard the voices again. He heard a clink of the glass against the wooden counter, the voices of the people around, the bass of the music, and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Desmond opened his eyes, and looked over. No one was there. He frowned, and took a hold of the glass. He brought it to his lips, letting the cool liquid run down his throat. Again he felt the hand, and turned around.

Still no one.

Desmond sighed, and turned back around, swirling the ice around in the glass. He heard the seat creak next to him, "Vodka soda," a female voice said, and Desmond glanced over. A young woman had taken the seat next to him, her blond hair pulled back into a messy bun. She caught his eye, and smiled, "What's a young handsome man like yourself doing at a bar alone?" she asked, as the bartender placed her glass down.

"I needed time to myself," Desmond answered, finishing off his drink. She smiled.

"I guess we all do."

Across the bar, a young man with blond hair watched him, his hand around his beer bottle. He felt a hand on his shoulder, "So this is your plan?" a female voice asked, and he turned around.

"Are you following me Emmaline?" Emmaline smiled, and sat down, resting her arm against the bar.

"We are working together, unless you forgot Daniel," she answered, and looked up at Desmond, "Nothing yet?" she asked, and Daniel shook his head.

"If you didn't know, you'd assume he was just another guy at a bar, trying to get lucky," Daniel answered, taking a drink from his beer. Emmaline saw the smirk on his face.

"What are you thinking Daniel Cross?" she asked, and Daniel smiled.

"We grab him tonight," Daniel answered, setting the bottle down.

"And how do we do that?" Daniel looked over at her, smirking.

"We wait."

* * *

Desmond groaned, and opened his eyes. _Not again,_ he thought, his head pounding. His vision was blurry as he tried to make sense of what happened. He remember talking to the woman, they left the bar, and...that was it.

Desmond sat up, and noticed his shirt was off. He looked around, and saw he was in a small apartment. Desmond blinked a few times, "Hello?" he called, and slowly stood up, "Hello?" he called again, but no answer. Desmond placed his foot forward, and felt something warm against it. He looked down, and saw blood, "The hell?" he mumbled, and saw a trail leading to a closed door.

Desmond slowly began walking towards it, when he noticed a broken mirror on the floor, the coffee table split in two, and blood smears on the wall, "What the hell happened?" he asked, his heart racing. He stopped at the door, and pushed it open.

His heart stopped.

The young woman he met at the bar, who he left with, had her hands and feet bound, and was placed in the bathtub. He saw multiple stab wounds in her chest, and felt sick. Desmond bent over, and vomited in the toilet.

Desmond left the bathroom, and found his clothes, blood stains on them. _I didn't kill her. I didn't kill her,_ he thought, his hands shaking as he did up his shoes. He looked at the clock. It read 4:15 am.

Desmond left the apartment, and walked down the hall, his hood up. He stopped at the elevator, and got in. Desmond pulled out his phone, and saw seven missed calls from his dad, and eight from Lucy. The elevator stopped at the ground floor, and he got out, heading out to the street.

"I can't believe you."

Desmond looked over and saw Ezio, walking besides him, "You killed her. You're just as bad as Altaïr."

"Hey I heard that," the Syrian snapped, and Desmond saw him on the other side.

"It's true! You kill people with no remorse _Signore."_

"And you don't?"

"SHUT UP!" Desmond yelled, turning around to face them, "JUST SHUT UP!" The two Assassins looked at him, silent, "What is happening to me?" he asked, and turned around, hands pressed against his temples.

_You know what's happening._

_You're losing it Des._

Desmond walked out into the street, and didn't see the on coming car. He looked up, and saw the bright lights, and heard the screeching tires.

Desmond felt a pain in his leg as the car hit him, sending him to the ground. He heard a crunch, and cried out in pain, grasping his calf. He looked down and saw blood. Two people got out of the car, and walked around to the front of the car.

"Hmm...that wasn't supposed to happen."

Desmond looked up, but couldn't see their faces. His leg was throbbing from the pain, "Oh well. Nothing we can't handle," Desmond squinted, "Give him a...light anesthetic," Desmond saw a woman come into his vision.

"This won't hurt at all," she said, and the last thing he saw was her fist hitting his face.

* * *

"Where is he?"

It was almost six in the morning, and the two Assassins were in the living room of their base. Bill was staring at his phone, "Why won't he pick up?" he asked. Lucy looked up, bags under her eyes.

"I don't know," she answered, and they heard the key in the door. Bill stood up.

"Oh, it's you two," he said, and sat back down.

"Thanks for that," Shaun Hasting said, taking off his coat, "We couldn't find him," Bill sighed, "Bill, we'll start again when we've had some sleep. We all need it," Rebecca Crane nodded, and took off her coat. She yawned.

"Good night guys," she said, and headed off towards her room. Shaun nodded at them, and went to his room. Lucy stood up, and walked over to Bill.

"They're right. Staying up won't help us find him," she said softly, "I'm sure he's alright," Bill nodded, and Lucy headed off to her room.

Bill sighed, and dialed Desmond's cell again. It rang three times, then cut to voicemail, _"It's Des. Leave a message,"_ he sighed, and got up. The sun was beginning to rise.

"Where are you?" he asked softly, and heard a low chuckle.

"Yes, where could little Desmond be?" Bill froze, and looked around. He was alone in the living room. He noticed the door ajar in the base's study, and waked over to the kitchen. He picked up a knife, then began walking slowly to it. The voice continued in a sing song fashion.

"Where oh where could little Desmond be?"

Bill pushed open the door, and looked in. The chair at the desk was turned around, and he saw a lone candle burning on the desk, "I know that voice," Bill mumbled, and the chair turned around, "Cross."

Daniel smiled, pressing his fingertips together, "Miss me William?" he asked, and Bill lunged forward, shoving the chair back, pressing the knife against Daniel's throat, "Ha, I guess not," he wheezed.

"Give me one good damn reason I shouldn't kill you," Bill said between clenched teeth, and Daniel chuckled.

"I can think of plenty," he answered, and Bill pressed the knife further, nicking his skin, "How will find your son if I'm dead?" Bill stopped, and looked down at him. The Templar smiled, "That shut you up," Bill took a step back, and Daniel rubbed his neck.

"Where is he?" Bill demanded.

"Safe," Daniel answered, examining his hand.

"Where?" Daniel looked up, and Bill saw a glimmer in his eyes.

"Now, if I told you that, that wouldn't make this fun," he answered, smirking.

"There's something wrong with him, and we need to find him be..."

"Before it gets worse," Daniel cut him off, standing up, "I know. He needs help, but..." He walked over to the bookshelf, and began scanning the titles, "You can't give him the help he needs," Bill snorted.

"And you can?" Daniel looked over, and nodded, "Bullshit. Where is my son?"

"He's safe," Daniel repeated.

"Abstergo?" Bill asked, and Daniel glanced over.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course not. That would be too obvious," he answered, "Warren was a bit, eh, unsure, but eventually he agreed," Bill was silent, "He's not by himself. He's with Emmaline. Ah!" Daniel took out a book, and flipped it open to the first page, then looked up, "You remember Emmaline, don't you? Emmaline Stoltz?" Silence. Daniel read a bit of the book, "Hmm, interesting," he placed it back, "I hate that book anyways. Now," he walked over to Bill, "Here's the deal. Stop, just stop. Desmond will be fine, and in a few, hmm, weeks, we'll give him back, deal?" Daniel asked, holding out his hand.

"You're insane," Bill said, and Daniel shrugged.

"That's a matter of perspective," he said, smirking again, "I'm warning you now. Don't try and find him. It's for the best," Daniel said, and walked past him, "I'll tell him you say hi," Daniel continued, walking out of the study. Bill felt rooted to the ground, unable to move.

He heard the door close, and blinked. Bill cursed, and threw the knife at the wall. It slammed into where Daniel's head had been, and Bill wished it was still there.


	3. Chapter 2

_Desmond opened his eyes, and looked around._

_He was standing in the middle of a large room, with pillars around him and a winding staircase behind him. The building was in ruins, and snow was falling silently to the ground. Desmond saw bookshelves on the upper level, and some on the level he was on. The window at the back was cracked, and a cold breeze was blowing through the window, but...he wasn't cold._

_He heard voices from the upper level, and began climbing up the stairs, the concrete cold against his bare feet. Where was his shoes?_

_"That thing is dangerous Altaïr. I would be careful with it if I was you."_

_Desmond stopped at the top of the stairs, and saw Altaïr standing behind a desk, a the Piece of Eden resting on it. There was a man standing in front of him, one of his arms missing._

_"I am Malik, but...there's something about it," Altaïr said, looking up at Malik._

_"If you're not careful, it will do things to your mind," Desmond frowned, "Right Desmond?"_

_Desmond froze, and saw both of them staring at him, a blank look on their faces, "How..." he began, and heard footsteps below._

_"Ezio! Look out!"_

_Desmond turned around and walked over to the rail, looking down. He saw Ezio fighting a guard, "How is this possible?" Desmond asked, and Ezio skillfully killed the guard, driving his blade into the guard's throat. Another man appeared._

_"I'm fine Leonardo," Ezio said, looking at his friend, smiling._

_"That could have seriously hurt you," Leonardo said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder._

_"I was being careful, unlike you Desmond," Ezio said, turning around to face him. Desmond blinked a few times._

_"What?" he asked, and the room dissolved around him, turning into a forest. He heard shouts in the distance, and saw a group of soldiers running at him, yelling.  
_

_"Get the assassin!"_

_"He can't get away!"_

_Desmond turned and began running, his bare feet pounding against the ground. It was then he noticed he was wearing Ezio's Assassin robes, and his ancestors were nowhere to be seen, "The fuck is going on?" he mumbled, running as fast as he could._

_He heard gun fire, and felt a sharp pain in his calf. Desmond cried out, and tumbled to the ground, rolling down a hill. He stopped at the bottom, and groaned, looking down. Blood trickled down his leg. Desmond cursed, and pulled himself up, limping down the small stream._

_"Desmond."_

_He stopped and saw a man standing before him. He had seen him before._

_"It's not real."_

_"Wait...who are you?" Desmond asked, and the man walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder._

_"It's not real."_

Desmond jolted awake, gasping for air. His shirt was drenched in sweat, and he felt like he had been hit over the head with a rock. He leaned forward, trying to stop the room from spinning. He looked up, and saw he was in a small room. The bed he was sitting on was soft with grey sheets. He saw a door in the corner, and he assumed it lead to the bathroom. He looked around, and heard the door open.

Desmond turned and saw the woman who knocked him out enter the room. Desmond watched her as she sat down on the bed, "You gonna give me another _light _anesthetic?" he asked coldly, and she looked at him.

"I'm here to fix your leg," she simply said, and Desmond didn't move, "Unless you want it to get infected and make us cut it off, I suggest you shut up and let me do my job, understand?" Desmond didn't say anything, but slowly extended his leg out. She rolled up his jeans, and looked down at the damage.

She began cleaning it while Desmond watched, "Who are you?" Desmond asked, and the woman looked up.

"A Templar," she answered, and went back to her work.

"That's not what I meant," he said, but she was silent, "What is your name?"

"Emmaline," she answered, and began bandaging up his leg. He heard the door open again, and looked up.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up Mr. Miles," Desmond's eyes narrowed.

"You bastard," he spat, and Warren Vidic smiled, crossing his arms.

"I'm just glad that Daniel managed to get you here in one piece," Warren said, and Desmond saw him behind Warren.

Daniel Cross.

"Your dad says hi, by the way," Daniel said, smirking. Desmond frowned, "Oh I went and saw him last night. Told him you were safe and all that crap. He wants to come look for you, imagine that," Desmond glared at him, "Of course, I told him not to bother and said that we would have you back in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?!" he yelled, and jumped up, wincing because of his leg, "What the fuck do you want with me now?! You already probed my mind and found what you wanted! What else could you want?!" Warren was a bit nervous, and had taken a step back, but Daniel didn't react.

"Tell me, Desmond, how many people are in this room?" Daniel asked.

"Four," Desmond answered, and Daniel chuckled.

"You're lying," Daniel sat down on the bed, and Emmaline stood up, "How many people are in this room?" he asked again, and Desmond hesitated. Was this a trick?

Desmond looked over his shoulder, and saw Altaïr and Ezio standing in the corner, silent. For once, they didn't have anything to say. Desmond looked back at Daniel, and saw a grin on his face, "You see Desmond? You're seeing things. Your brain, it's not the same after being in the Animus," Daniel said, tapping a finger against his own head.

"It's the Bleeding Effect," Desmond said, trying to sound convincing, but he wasn't sure if it was meant for Daniel or himself.

Daniel shook his head, "No, it's not. There's something your little Assassin friends never bothered to mention," Daniel said, and Desmond saw Warren smirking, "And that's why you're here. We can help you."

"Bullshit," Desmond spat and Cross chuckled.

"Your dad said the same thing last night," Daniel said, "You two are so much alike," Daniel stood up, "We're helping you, whether you want it or not, because you don't have a choice."

"They'll find me. It's obvious where I am," Desmond said.

"It is really Mr. Miles?" Warren asked, and he noticed a certain...tone, perhaps, almost like there was an inside joke.

"We're at Absertgo," Desmond said, and Emmaline looked at them, smirking as well.

"That was too obvious," she said, and stood up, "We're not at Abstergo," The group turned and left, shutting the door behind them. Desmond breathed out, and slumped back against the bed.

"We are stuck, _amico_," Ezio said, looking down at him, "Do you have a idea where we are?"

"No," Desmond mumbled, and Altaïr sat down on the bed.

"We need to find a way to figure this out," Altaïr said, and Desmond looked over at him.

"In case you haven't noticed, there's no fucking windows in here," Desmond spat.

"Hey. You got us into this mess," Altaïr snapped, pointing his finger at him.

"I did?! You two are in my brain and won't leave me alone!" Desmond yelled, getting up, "You make me look like I'm going crazy! Yelling to myself like crazy people do! You know what they want to do?! They want to cut my brain open and see what made Desmond snap," Desmond spat, tapping his finger against his head. Ezio stood up, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"_Calmare _Desmond," Ezio said, and Desmond smacked his hand away.

"Don't tell me to calm down Ezio!" he yelled, and suddenly felt dizzy. Desmond leaned back against the wall.

"Desmond?"Altaïr asked. Demsond shut his eyes, and heard voices speaking to him.

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Murder_

_That's what you do_

_You murder people_

_Murder_

Desmond opened his eyes, and looked up. Ezio and Altaïr were gone. Desmond slid down the wall, "What is happening to me?" he asked, pressing the palms of his hands against his temples.

* * *

Emmaline watched Desmond from the security room, tapping a pencil against the desk. Daniel leaned down, resting his chin on the top of her forehead, "You're right," she said. Daniel smiled, and sat down next to her, placing a hand on her knee.

"Most of the time I am," he said, and she glanced over.

"So what next?" she asked, and Daniel pulled her chair closer, "Daniel, _niet,_" she said, as he pushed a lock of her hair back.

"I always liked you with dark hair," he murmured, and Emmaline sighed, looking back the screen. Desmond was hunched over, "Forget about him for a bit," he said, kissing her cheek, and Emmaline looked back at him, "I haven't seen you in three years."

"You know I had to go," she reminded him, "With that damn British Assassin on my tail, it was necessary," Daniel kissed her collarbone, his rough lips against her smooth skin making her shiver.

"He works with Desmond," Daniel murmured, and stood up, taking Emmaline's hand, "We'll get him, and the others too," He pressed her against the desk, and kissed her lips, "I promise."

* * *

"Bill did you even sleep last night?"

Bill looked up from his computer and saw Rebecca standing by his desk, "I couldn't. Cross paid me a visit last night," Rebecca raised her eyebrows.

"As in, Daniel Cross?" she asked, and Bill nodded, "Wait...does he have Desmond?" Bill nodded again. Lucy and Shaun walked in the room, Shaun holding a cup of tea.

"Did you say Daniel Cross?" he asked, and Rebecca nodded, "Hmm...that means..." Shaun mumbled, and left the room. He returned moments later with two envelops, and looked at them, "He's not alone."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cross isn't...stable enough to kidnap Desmond by himself," Shaun explained, and pulled over a chair, sitting down, "I know who he's with," Shaun said, looking around at them, "Emmaline Stoltz. Or, if you want her birth name, Doruntina Somerhalder."

"Why two names?" Lucy asked, and how do you know her?" Shaun sighed, and took a sip of his tea.

"She was a Templar that I was assigned to kill, three years ago. And I thought I did, until recently," he said, looking down at the envelops.

"You didn't kill her?" Rebecca asked, a bit shocked.

"I thought I did," he answered, and began opening one of the envelops, "She was born in Armenia, to an Albanian mother and a Dutch father, but her parents never married because her father was a Templar, and didn't know that Doruntina existed until she was twelve. When her father found out, he wanted to make her into a Templar, but her mother was against it. Her father showed up, with a few men, and they killed her mother, taking Doruntina away. Of course, the neighbors had heard the commotion, and had seen the men leave with her, and put out a police bulletin for her. Her father knew that he couldn't get her out without someone noticing, so he changed her appearance and name. He gave her his grandmother's name, Emmaline, and his last name, Stoltz, and they escaped."

"When a few months had passed, the police had given up their search and assumed she was dead, like her mother, but she's not. She grew up in Germany with her father, being raised in a Templar household, and when off to study neuroscience at Cambridge," Shaun said, and reached into the envelop, "Her father was killed five years ago, and she was promoted to his position in the Inner Circle. I had tracked her to Paris, and had chased her to Notre Dame. We ended up fighting on the roof, and we both fell, and I drove my hidden blade into her neck, and we landed in the river. I came up, and she didn't, so I assume she was dead," Shaun explained, and turned the picture around, "Until this showed up, just a few days before Desmond was kidnapped."

The picture was of a woman's neck and collarbone, with a scar that ran from the front of her neck to the back. He flipped it over, and they saw two words written on the back.

**You missed.****ES**

"She's alive," Rebecca said, and Shaun nodded, "Her and Cross must have crossed paths at one point or another."

"They did work with each other for a while, and I think Cross had feelings for her," Shaun said, and held up the second envelop, "She sent me this one last night," he opened it, and pulled out another photo.

It was a picture of a woman with blond highlighted hair and brown eyes. Her skin was a mocha color, and she was wearing a black shirt, "On the back it has two letters," Shaun said, "KO. I don't know what it means," Lucy took it from him, and looked at the woman. There was something in her eyes, something that made Lucy feel sorry for her. If what Shaun had told them was true, then she would have been traumatized from watching her mother's death. Lucy flipped over the picture, and looked down at the letters. She frowned.

"This is a code," she said, and sat down, pulling out a pen, "I remember seeing something like it at Absertgo. If you want to give someone a date for an event, you write it out using the alphabet," Lucy explained, "Which means..." she counted on her fingers, and wrote down two numbers, 11 and 15, "It's a date. It's tomorrow's date, which means something is going to happen."

"To Desmond?" Bill asked.

"I don't know, but we need to be ready," Lucy stood up, and looked at them, "We need to make copies of this, and show this picture around, asking if anyone's seen her. If we find Emmaline, then we find Cross. If we find Cross, we find Desmond."


	4. Chapter 3

_November 15_

It was early in the morning on the streets of Rome, the rain lightly falling. Lucy looked around, and yawned. Shaun took a sip of his tea, and looked down at his watch, "Alright," he said, pulling out a stack of pictures and gave half to Lucy, "Rebecca, you and Bill ready?" he asked.

Rebecca was positioned in their van, in another section of the street, monitoring the cameras and traffic lights, "I'm ready when you are," she answered.

Bill was in another part of town, holding the pictures tightly in his hand. His eyes scanned the streets, "Let's do this."

Lucy began walking down one side of the street, handing out pictures and asking if they'd seen Emmaline. She came up with a story about how she was a cousin who had gone missing a few days ago and they were trying to find her. Shaun, on the other hand, was using the story that she was his wife, and had gone missing while she was out running errands. And Bill had a completely different story. He explained that he was his son's girlfriend, and that they had gone camping, but only his son returned, and they were worried about her because she hadn't called.

Rebecca's eyes were scanning the multiple screens, keeping a watch for Emmaline. She had hacked into the traffic cameras, the security cameras. Rebecca bite her lip, tapping the pen against her desk, "Come on. Show yourself," she mumbled, scanning the cameras, "Show your stupid little face," She was unaware that a woman with red hair walked across one of the screens, and glanced up at one of the screens, her brown eyes twinkling.

Bill looked around, "This isn't working," he said, "Rebecca I can't find her," He said.

"I can't see her either. She's good," Rebecca said.

Lucy and Shaun weren't having any luck either. Lucy was getting frustrated, and she threw the rest of the pictures in the trash, "Shaun this isn't working," she said, turning around, and saw Shaun talking to a couple.

"Have you seen this woman?" he asked, holding up the picture. The man looked at the picture, and shook his head.

"Sorry, we haven't," he answered, and began to walk away while his wife looked at the picture.

"Wait!" Shaun looked up, and she grabbed the picture, "I have seen this woman," Lucy turned around and rushed over.

"Really? How long ago?" she asked.

"About ten minutes ago. She went into that drug store," she said, pointing at the store across the road, "But... she didn't have blond hair. It was red," Shaun looked at Lucy, then back at them.

"Thank you very much," he said, and the couple walked away, "Rebecca, we have a location that she could be."

_"Where?"_ Rebecca asked through his ear piece, as the two crossed the road, and headed to the drug store.

"Drug store," he said, and opened the door. Lucy walked in, and she began looking around. Shaun closed the door behind him, "Split up," he whispered, and headed off towards the birthday cards. Lucy began walking towards the cosmetics, scanning the faces of the people who were standing around.

Shaun walked through the card aisle, then headed down by the back of the store where the pharmacy and cold medicine was. He walked back an aisle, and stopped. Shaun took a step back, "Lucy. I have a visual."

Lucy stopped, and looked up, "Where?"

"Vitamins," Shaun answered, and began walking past it, "You go first, and then I'll come up. We don't want to risk that she'll get away. She doesn't know who you are," Lucy swallowed, and slowly made her way towards the vitamins. She turned and saw her.

Emmaline was standing by the sleeping pills, a hat pulled down over the red hair, and she was wearing a long beige trench coat. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and black boots with a heel. Lucy walked down and stopped by the calcium pills. She glanced over, and saw Emmaline reading the label on a bottle of pills, "I don't recommend those ones."

"Hmm?" Emmaline looked up, and Lucy saw her brown eyes staring at her. Lucy walked over.

"They have horrible side affects," she explained, and Emmaline frowned, then placed the bottle back.

"You have experience with these pills?" Emmaline asked, and Lucy nodded.

"My husband is a light sleeper," she explained, "He wakes at every sound," Emmaline smiled, and Lucy saw the scar on her collarbone when she shifted to grab another bottle.

"What about this one?" Emmaline asked, holding the bottle up. Lucy pretended to read the label, and saw saw Shaun appear at the other end of the aisle.

"Unless you want your room to smell," Lucy said, and Emmaline grimaced.

"My boyfriend has trouble sleeping as well," Emmaline explained.

"What your boyfriend be Daniel Cross?"

Emmaline froze, and turned slowly towards Lucy, "Or maybe Desmond Miles," Lucy said coldly. Emmaline smirked.

"Daniel was right," she said, "He said you guys would show up," Shaun moved to her other side, "Shaun. It's been a long time."

"Three years I believe," Shaun said dryly, and Emmaline looked over at him, "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you," she answered.

"Where's Desmond?" Lucy asked, and Emmaline put the bottle back.

"Safe," she answered, and she reached a hand in her pocket.

"Where?" Lucy asked again, and Emmaline smirked.

"Now if I told you that, this next part wouldn't be fun," Lucy frowned.

"What part?"

_Come with me now  
Come with me now_

Daniel Cross walked around the corner, a gun pointed at them, "Lucy run!" Shaun yelled, and pushed her out of the way, as Daniel began shooting at them. Emmaline turned and ran past him, while Daniel fired his gun, walking towards them. Lucy and Shaun dove around the corner, and pulled out their own guns, "Rebecca, Bill, we got a problem."

_"What is it?"_ It was Bill.

"Cross," Lucy said, and leaned around, firing at him. The customers and workers began running out of the store, screaming.

_Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down  
Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down_

Shaun leaned around and began firing at them, while Cross ducked behind a display. Shaun got up, and fired, the bullet skimming the top of Daniel's head. Emmaline appeared out of nowhere, and fired back, the bullet striking Shaun's leg. Shaun cried out in pain, and fell down, "Shaun!" Lucy yelled, and Emmaline smirked. Daniel grabbed her hand and the two began running.

_Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down  
Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down_

Lucy knelt down, "Shaun," she said, as he pressed down against the wound. He looked up.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled, "Rebecca, get here now! I'm down," he said, grimacing, then looked back at Lucy, "Go after them. I'll be fine," Lucy nodded, and got up. She took off running, and jumped over the counter at the pharmacy. Lucy began firing at them. Emmaline turned around and began firing back, breaking glass and bottles of medication. The employees ducked, dodging the bullets that flew over their head.

_Afraid to lose control  
And caught up in this world  
I've wasted time, I've wasted breath  
I think I've thought myself to death_

_I was born without this fear  
Now only this seems clear  
I need to move, I need to fight  
I need to lose myself tonight_

Lucy jumped over a counter, and began chasing them. Emmaline had ditched the coat, and the two were in the street. Emmaline grabbed Daniel's arm, "Get the car. And meet up by the fountain," she said, and Daniel nodded. The two split up, and Lucy stopped, looking both ways.

"Rebecca, they're splitting up."

Bill opened the back of the van, while Rebecca was fixing up Shaun's leg, "Bill where are you going?" Rebecca asked, as he took a gun, and began walking towards Daniel's car.

"Lucy, take Emmaline. I'll handle Cross," he said, and began firing at the car. Daniel jumped, and turned around. He glared at Bill, and began firing back.

_Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down  
Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down_

Lucy began chasing after Emmaline, as the Armenian began scaling a building. Lucy followed her, pulling herself up onto the roof. Emmaline spun around, and fired at her, the bullet skimming her hand. Lucy began firing at her, then began running at her. Emmaline grimaced, and began sprinting, jumping across the gaps. Lucy followed her, but she was beginning to get away.

Meanwhile, Daniel had started his car, and began driving away, but Bill jumped onto the car, holding onto the roof. Daniel grimaced, and began swerving, knocking over stands on the side of the road, while Bill hung onto the roof. He grabbed his gun, and and broke the driver's side window. He pointed the gun, and began firing, not sure where he was aiming.

_I think with my heart and I move with my head  
I open my mouth and it's something I've read  
I stood at this door before, I'm told  
But a part of me knows I'm growing too old_

_Confused what I thought with something I've felt  
Confuse what I feel with something that's real  
I tried to sell my soul last night  
Funny, he wouldn't even take a bite_

Lucy jumped down, and Emmaline punched her in the face, knocking her backwards. Lucy threw her gun down, and jumped at her, kicking the woman in the stomach. Emmaline grabbed her foot and spun her around, throwing her to the street. Cars swerved, honking their horns, stopping as Emmaline grabbed her gun, and aimed at Lucy's head. Lucy rolled to the side as the bullet slammed into the pavement, "You won't find him Lucy!" Emmaline yelled, and Lucy peeked up, watching the woman walk towards her. She noticed that the red was beginning to fade from her hair.

_Far away_  
_ I heard him say (Come with me now)_  
_ Don't delay_  
_ I heard him say (Come with me now)_

Daniel swerved, and came to a halt, Bill flying off the roof of his car. Bill slammed into a fruit stand, knocking the display over. Daniel got out of the car, and pulled out his gun. Bill looked up, and rolled out of the way as he began firing at him. Bill got behind a car, and pulled out his gun. He got up and began firing back, people scattering around him.

_ Far away_  
_ I heard him say (Come with me now)_  
_ Don't delay_  
_ I heard him say (Come with me now)_

Lucy got up, and ran over to her. Emmaline aimed the gun at her, but Lucy grabbed her hand, knocking it loose and twisted her arm, sending her down to the ground. Emmaline grabbed the back of Lucy's leg, and flipped her over, the Assassin landing on her back. Lucy groaned, and felt a foot on her chest. Emmaline looked down, gun pointed at her face, "You Assassins don't know how to listen," she said, breathing heavy. Lucy saw a cut on her forehead.

_Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down  
Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down_

Bill jumped over the car, and punched Daniel in the face. Daniel stumbled backwards, and Bill knocked the gun out of his hand. Daniel grabbed for his, and the two began struggling. Daniel pinned him against a brick wall, and pressed his forearm against his throat. Bill tried to pry his arm off, but he couldn't get his arm around Daniel's.

"I told you, not to look!" Daniel yelled, and Bill dropped the gun.

_Afraid to lose control__And caught up in this world  
I've wasted time, I've wasted breath  
I think I've thought myself to death_

"You never listen, do you?" he hissed, pressing his arm harder. Bill felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He couldn't breath.

_I was born without this fear_  
_ Now only this seems clear_  
_ I need to move, I need to fight_  
_ I need to lose myself tonight_

_Whoa, come with me now_

"Daniel!"

Daniel turned around, and saw Emmaline running towards the car, Lucy far behind, "Let's go!" she yelled, climbing into the driver's seat. Daniel looked back at Bill, and saw he was on the verge of passing out. Cursing, he released him and ran over the car. He climbed into the passenger seat, and Emmaline put the car into drive. She slammed on the gas, peeling out of there. Lucy stopped, firing at the wheels, but she kept missing.

"Damn it!" she yelled.

_Whoa, come with me now  
I'm gonna take you down  
Whoa, come with me now_

* * *

"Well that didn't go as planned," Rebecca said, as she dabbed peroxide on Bill's shoulder wound. He grimaced, "But it could have gone a lot worse."

"And how, is that?" Shaun asked, grimacing as he limped over, "I got shot, Bill was almost choked to death, and Lucy was almost curb stomped by Emmaline," he snapped, and sat down, grimacing from the pain. Lucy was silent, staring at the picture of Emmaline, "So tell me how it could have gone worse," Rebecca looked up at him.

"You could have died," she said, and Shaun went to respond, but Bill cut him off.

"Shaun, enough," he said, glaring at him, "You're not the only one who's pissed off they got away," he said, and pulled away, "Damn it Rebecca that hurt!" he yelled, and Rebecca glared at him, then continued her work, "We have to be more careful next time."

"Next time?" Lucy asked, looking up, "Next time? Bill there might not be a next time! For all we know, they could go back to their fucking base and kill Desmond! We may have put his life more at risk! And you want to try this again?! Are you fucking mental?!"

"If we had told him what was happening to him, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Bill yelled, standing up, "but you said we should keep it from him!" He yelled, pointing his finger at her.

"So it's my fault that he got kidnapped," Lucy snapped, "I get it. Blame me because I worked undercover at Abstergo and should have known this was going to happen. Well, I didn't! Not even what happened with Clay..." Lucy's voice caught in her throat, and there were tears in her eyes. Rebecca walked over.

"Lucy," she said gently, placing her hands on her shoulder, but Lucy brushed her off, "What happened to Clay isn't your fault, and what happened to Desmond isn't you fault," she said, "We all just need to calm down. We're mad because they got away, and no where near to finding where Desmond is, but that doesn't mean it's over," Rebecca said, and walked over to her computer.

"How is it not over?" Shaun asked, "We have no way of knowing where th..."

"Are you forgetting who I am?" Rebecca asked, cutting him off, and typed on her laptop, "While you were confronting Emmaline, I saw the car in which Daniel pulled up to the pharmacy in, and well, I bugged it," Rebecca said, smiling. The three stared at her in shock.

"How?!" Lucy exclaimed, and Rebecca smiled.

"While I was heading to go get Shaun, I stopped near the car, and stuck the bug in the exhaust. Hopefully they don't find it," Rebecca said, looking at the screen of her laptop. The three joined her.

"They're heading out of Italy," Bill said, "But where?"

* * *

"That was way too close," Emmaline said, glaring at Daniel as they sped down the highway. Daniel had his leg crossed, staring out the window, his hand resting on his knee, the gun hanging loosely in his hand, "We have to be more careful next time," she said, and Daniel looked over at her.

"You worry too much," he said.

"Daniel for fuck's sake Bill almost had you," she snapped, and Daniel smiled, "Why are you smiling?"

"You're so hot when you're mad," he said, placing a hand on her knee, and Emmaline pursed her lips, "And when you do that."

"We need to get back to the base," she said, but her voice wasn't convincing. Daniel reached up, and stroked her hair.

"The red is coming out," he observed, and Emmaline looked over at him, and she pulled over to the side of the road. Emmaline shut off the car, and looked over at Cross.

"You're annoying," she said, but he saw a small smirk. Emmaline got out of the car, and so did Cross.

Emmaline grabbed a bottle of water, and flipped her hair upside down, dumping the water over her head. The red washed out with ease, and her hair was back to the auburn color. She flipped her hair back, and felt Daniel's arms snake around her waist, and she felt his lips against her neck, brushing her scar. She shivered, "We have time you know," he whispered, one of his hands moving up to her blouse. He began undoing the top button, then moved down to the next one.

"Daniel," she whispered, as he began nipping at her neck. She felt the cold air against her skin, and turned around. Emmaline grabbed his face, and kissed him, pushing him back against the car, snaking her hands down his back and underneath his shirt. Daniel pulled her closer, his hands on her lower back, and dropped lower. Without breaking the kiss, and he turned them around, pushing her back against the car. He reached down, and pulled one of her legs up, pushing himself closer to her. A soft moan escaped Emmaline's lips, and Daniel pulled back, smirking.

Yes, they had time before they had to get back to dear little Desmond.

And he was looking forward to it.


	5. Chapter 4

_The air was cold as it rushed past him. Desmond couldn't see anything, as there was a blindfold tied over his eyes. His hands and feet were bound together, and he heard the footsteps of the man walking around him._

"_So you are the Assassin who has caused troubles for my men," he recognized Robert de Sable's voice, Altaïr's enemy. Desmond didn't say anything, and he wondered if de Sable was confusing him for Altaïr._

"_You have no words for yourself Assassin?" he heard Robert asked, and he heard chuckles around him, "Very well. We will see how much of an Assassin you actually are," Desmond heard Robert walk away, and the sound of a sword being drawn._

"_**Tue-le!"**_

_Time seemed to move in slow motion. Desmond listened to the footsteps, and ducked. He felt the rush of air on his neck as the sword barely missed his skin, and he felt his hands and feet were no longer tied. Desmond took off the blindfold, and saw he was standing on a wooden plank that was extended above the bare stones of the floor below them._

_Desmond looked over and saw Lucy standing on another one. She looked over, "It's gonna be alright Desmond," she said, and took a step forward._

"_Lucy no!" he yelled, but she jumped anyways, plummeting to the ground. Desmond felt the boards shift, and then he was falling. _

_Desmond looked down, and saw the ground get closer. He shut his eyes, waiting for the impact._

_It never came._

_Desmond opened his eyes and saw he was underwater. He saw Malik, floating in the water, motionless. Desmond began swimming towards him, and grabbed the man. He began swimming to the surface, but every time he got closer the surface moved farther away. Desmond was starting to run out of breath, but he kept pushing._

_A hand grabbed onto his ankle, and he looked down._

_Lucy, Rebecca and Shaun were grabbing at his clothes, their eyes black, pulling him down, "Come with us Desmond," they said, "It's not safe up there.."_

_Desmond opened his mouth to speak but water rushed in, and he began choking. He suddenly felt lighter, and realized that Malik was gone. He looked down, and saw Altaïr and Ezio also pulling at him, their nails raking his skin._

"_Come with us Desmond. You're safer in here," they said, but Desmond began swimming away, but he couldn't get far, because the five of them were stronger. Desmond struggled to break free, their hands clawing at his clothes and skin, scratching him. Desmond opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out._

"_It's not real Desmond."_

_Desmond turned his head, and saw the same man from before._

"_It's not real."_

Desmond gasped as the water hit his face, and he sat up, once again soaked in sweat. He blinked a few times, and saw Warren, Emmaline and Daniel in the room, watching him, "Where…where am I?" he asked, looking around. He was lying on a machine, "If this is an Animus I'm not ge…"

"It's not," Emmaline said, cutting him off, "It's kind of like an MRI, expected I modified it a bit so we can see your brainwave patterns depending on your mood," she explained, and walked over to the screen. Desmond noticed she walked with a limp, but was quickly pulled back when Warren began speaking.

"Ms. Stoltz has a theory, and we're going to test it," Warren explained, walking over. Daniel was silent, just watching.

"I love being used as your guinea pig," Desmond said sarcastically, and he saw Emmaline crack a small smile.

"Lie down Mr. Miles," Warren said, and Emmaline pressed a button. Desmond lid down, and a circular shape appeared over his head. He saw a screen on the left wall that had two separate images.

"You two need to leave the room," Emmaline said, turning to Daniel and Warren, "I don't want the machine picking up any extra brainwaves," The two left, shutting the door, and Emmaline turned back to the screen in front of her, "Relax Desmond this isn't the Animus," she said, and Desmond blinked a few times.

"_Signore_, what is she doing?"

Desmond saw Ezio and Altaïr appear in his vision, looking down at him, but Desmond didn't answer.

"That's….odd," Emmaline said, and looked at Desmond, "Your ancestors are here, aren't they? They're talking to you," Desmond, Ezio and Altaïr looked at her.

"Yes."

"Interesting," she mumbled, and taped on the screen, "Talk to them."

"It's a machine that can look at my brain," Desmond explained, and Altaïr knelt down, tapping it.

"Strange," he mumbled.

"_Si, si,_" Ezio agreed, and poked Desmond, "Why do they want to look at your brain?" Desmond chuckled.

"Beats me," he answered, and he heard a ringing in his ears, then everything went black.

* * *

Desmond groaned, and tried to move his arm, but he felt it was strapped down. He looked down, and saw that his arms and legs were strapped down. Desmond blinked a few times, and saw Emmaline sitting down. He noticed that Warren and Daniel were back in the room, _I thought she said they couldn't be in here_. Warren looked over at him.

"He's awake," he said, and Daniel looked up, glaring at him. Demsond noticed a cut on Emmaline's arm.

"You're lucky Vidic pulled me off of you, or you wouldn't be alive," he snarled. Desmond was confused, then it hit him.

He had blacked out again.

Emmaline was silent, just watching him, "What did you find so far?" Warren asked, turning to look at her. Emmaline got up, her eyes never leaving Desmond. She walked over to the screen, and tapped it. An image appeared on the larger screen.

"This is of his brain when me and him were talking," she said, and Desmond frowned. It seemed that there was large spikes in activity, which didn't make sense.

_Who knows how long  
I've been awake now?  
The shadows on my walls don't sleep  
They keep calling me  
Beckoning_

"Interesting," Warren mumbled, and she tapped the screen again, switching the image.

"And this is the image of his interaction with his ancestors," Emmaline said, and they saw this image was normal. Desmond was confused, "And this is what happened just before he blacked out," she said, and tapped the screen again. There was nothing. No brain activity.

"What does this mean?" Warren asked.

"It means his brain shuts off."

_Who knows what's right?  
The lines keep getting thinner  
My age has never made me wise  
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on_

Desmond was confused, "Is that why I don't remember them?" he asked, and Emmaline nodded, "Emmaline, whatever I did to you, I'm so sorry," Daniel glared at him.

"Come Daniel, we need to discuss some things," Warren said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "As in the tracking device we found on your car," he said, and the two left. Emmaline waited until they had left, and she turned to him.

"Your hallucinations are getting worse, aren't they?" she asked, and Desmond nodded slowly, "That's what I thought."

_There's nothing left to say now  
There's nothing left to say now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now_

"What do you mean by that?" Desmond asked.

"Daniel is having hallucinations as well," she explained, "That's half the reason you're here. It's hard to get him to cooperate, so we figured if we found someone who is...well, you know," she said.

"Not as crazy," Desmond said, finishing her sentence.

"But...you're not as far gone as Daniel. Why is that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

_There's nothing left to say now  
There's nothing left to say now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now_

Desmond looked over her shoulder, and he saw Warren watching through the glass, his arms crossed. Emmaline walked closer to him, and Desmond grabbed her clipboard and pen, "No reason. No reason at all," he said, while writing down a few words, "I see a man, and he says something to me."

"What does he say?" she asked, and Desmond turned the clipboard over. Emmaline read the words, and her eyes went wide.

**He tells me it's not real**

"I can't hear him. It's muffled," Desmond answered, and Emmaline nodded slowly. She grabbed the clipboard, and motioned for Desmond to get up.

"Where are you going?" Warren asked, coming in the room.

"I need to assess his physical health before we continue," she explained, "We'll start again in a few hours," Emmaline walked past him, Desmond following her. Once they left room, Desmond opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "Not here. They'll hear you," she said low, and lead him back to his room.

_Below my soul  
I feel an engine  
Collapsing as it sees the pain  
If I could only shut it out_

Emmaline opened his door, and Desmond walked in. She shut the door behind them, and turned around, "That's why you're still sane. That man," she said, and Desmond shrugged.

"I guess so," he answered.

"How could I not see it?" she asked, running a hand through her hair. Desmond saw a scar on her collarbone.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, and she frowned, "The scar," he said, pointing at her neck.

"Oh that. Uh, the Assassin who tried to kill me. He...missed," she answered with some hesitation. Desmond raised his eyebrows.

"He...missed?" he asked, putting emphasis on the word 'missed.', "By accident or on purpose?"

_I've come too far  
To see the end now  
Even if my way is wrong  
I keep pushing on and on and on and on_

Emmaline was silent, and she looked down to the ground, "Emmaline?" he asked, and she looked up.

"On purpose," she answered finally, and flipped over a page on her clipboard. Desmond frowned, trying to figure out why an Assassin would purposely miss his target.

"But wh..."

"Desmond, sometimes, you don't have the option of not being a Templar," she said, cutting him off, "You made the choice to run away, I couldn't," she said, and looked down at the clipboard again.

"What does that mean?" Desmond asked, and Emmaline stopped writing.

"It's complicated," she answered, and began writing again.

_There's nothing left to say now  
There's nothing left to say now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now_

_There's nothing left to say now  
There's nothing left to say now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now_

"How is it complicated?" he asked.

"It just is," she snapped, and Desmond saw tears in her eyes, "It's...a long story."

"I have time," Desmond said, and she put the pen behind her ear.

"Not now," she said, "I'll see you in a couple hours," Emmaline opened the door and left. She shut the door, and leaned against it, shutting her eyes. The tears began falling down her face.

"Well, that was strange," Altaïr said, and Desmond turned around.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that," Desmond mumbled, lying down on his bed.

"So, we're not _pazzo_?" Ezio asked, looking up at the ceiling. Desmond shrugged.

"I don't know," he answered, "But I think Emmaline's hiding something from me," he said, and Ezio sat up, looking at him, "I just...have that feeling."

"She doesn't act like a normal Templar," Altaïr pointed out, and Desmond looked over at him, "She seems...different."

"And what did she meant by not having an option to be a Templar?" Ezio asked, and Desmond shrugged again.

"Hopefully we'll find out."

* * *

Emmaline sat at her desk, staring at the computer screen. Desmond was asleep, but Warren wanted him awake in the next hour. She tapped her fingers against the desk, and thought about what she told him. Emmaline reached around her neck, and found the thin gold chain she wore. She took it out from underneath her shirt, and stared at the ring on the end of it.

_"I don't want to kill you."_

Emmaline took the necklace off, and placed the ring on her finger, staring at it.

_"I'd rather be dead than live another day knowing we can't be together."_

Emmaline took the ring off, and placed the necklace back around her neck, but she grabbed the ring, holding it in her hand.

_"The only way we can be together is if the war ends, and we both know that won't happen."_

Emmaline let the ring fall, and looked back at the screen.

_With our backs to the wall  
The darkness would fall  
We never quite thought  
We could loose it all_

_Ready, aim, fire  
Ready, aim, fire  
An empire's falling just one day  
_

_You close your eyes and the glory fades  
Ready, aim, fire,  
Ready, aim, fire away  
Ready, aim, fire,  
Ready, aim, fire away_

* * *

_ The two songs used are "Nothing Left to Say" by Imagine Dragons and "Ready, Aim, Fire" by Imagine Dragons.  
_


	6. Chapter 5

"Wakey wakey Mr. Miles."

Desmond groaned, and rolled over, "You're still doing the same bullshit doc?" he asked, opening one eye. Vidic was sitting on the end of his bed.

"It's been more than a couple hours. Let's get to work," Vidic said, and stood up. Desmond put his feet on the floor, and stood up. He followed Warren out, and down the long hall. Desmond looked up, the lights dim in the hall. He heard rumbling above them, and frowned.

Warren pushed open the door, and Emmaline was sitting at her desk, writing something down, "Here he is," Warren said, and Emmaline looked up, "I expect a lot of work to get done today," he said, glaring at Emmaline, "I'll check back in about two hours. Have fun Mr. Miles."

As soon as Warren was out of ear shot, Desmond spoke, "He's such a jerk," he said, lying down on the machine. Emmaline looked up, and smiled, "Why do you put up with him?" he asked, as the woman got up and walked over to the machine. She began tapping on the screen, typing something.

"Like I said, it's complicated," she answered. Desmond was determined to get answers out of her today. While he was waiting in his room, he, Ezio and Altaïr had speculated on what her secrets could be, but they had gotten nowhere. Desmond felt like he was going crazy, considering no one else could see his ancestors.

"Like I said, we have time," Desmond pointed out, and Emmaline looked up. Desmond saw a chain around her neck, and saw a ring at the end of it, "Why are you wearing a ring around your neck?" he asked.

"It's an engagement ring," Emmaline answered, and began typing on the screen, "No one knows about it, so I keep it hidden."

"Are you engaged to Daniel?" Desmond asked, and Emmaline stopped typing, "I've seen the way he looks at you, and the way he acts around you. He loves you, a lot."

"How do you know he feels that way?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Because there's someone I look at the same way," he explained, and he saw Ezio grinning out of the corner of his eye, and Altaïr was shaking his head. Emmaline looked up at him.

"I don't love him in the way he loves me," she finally answered, "And before you ask, yes, I love someone else," She looked down at the screen, then marked something on her clipboard. Desmond saw Altaïr and Ezio walk closer.

"So, how exactly does this help you Desmond?" Ezio asked, and Desmond shrugged.

"I haven't figured it out," he answered, and Emmaline frowned, "Ezio. He asked a question," Desmond explained, and Emmaline looked down at the screen.

"That explains the activity," she muttered, and wrote something down.

"So, how will this help me?" Desmond asked. Emmaline opened her mouth, but stopped when she heard the door open.

"How are things Ms. Stoltz?" Warren asked, walking over to her, and he looked down at the screen.

"Good," she answered, "I'm finding a lot of similarities between his activity and Daniel's," she explained, "They almost have the same wave patterns, expect Daniel doesn't black out anymore," Warren looked down at her notes.

"What?" Altaïr and Ezio asked, and Desmond looked over at them. He wasn't sure if he should ask them what they meant, but he decided against it. He could hear Ezio and Altaïr whispering to each other, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.

_"Men! Move forward!"_

_Desmond looked around, and saw soldiers running past him, shoving him out of the way. Desmond stumbled forward, and fell to the ground, his hands landing in a puddle of mud._

_"We're almost there!" _

_He looked around, and saw a young woman tied to a tree, her head drooping. Desmond got up, and walked over to her. He looked down, and she slowly lifted her head, "Desmond?" she asked, and he nodded, "I'm sorry."_

_"For what?" he asked, and he felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blades. Desmond froze, and he felt a hand on his arm._

_"For this," she hissed, and pulled the knife out. Desmond fell forward, face first into the mud._

_"Assassin!"_

_Desmond looked around, and saw nothing but white around him. He saw a group of soldiers running at him, so he began running._

"Desmond?"

Desmond opened his eyes, and saw he was lying on his bed. Emmaline was sitting next to him, Warren behind her. Desmond blinked a few times, and slowly sat up, "What happened?" he asked.

"You were hallucinating," Warren answered, "and fell and hit your head," Desmond looked around, and saw Ezio and Altaïr in the corner again, silent. Desmond lid back down.

"We should leave him be," Emmaline whispered to Warren, and the two left. Desmond stared at the ceiling.

"What is happening to me?" he asked.

* * *

"Shit."

Rebecca got out of the van, and walked over to the car that was parked on the side of the road, "They knew," she said, and Shaun sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets, "They knew."

Shaun looked around, trying to find any hint that Daniel and Emmaline had been here, but there was nothing, "I thought we had them," Shaun said, and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Bill's number, and placed it to his ear, listening to the rings.

_"Hello?"_

"They knew we bugged the car," Shaun said, and he heard Bill sigh, "They ditched it. I'm sorry Bill."

_"It's fine. We just have to find a way to catch them off guard," _Shaun heard the door open, and he heard Lucy say something to Bill, _"Hang on Shaun,"_ He heard Bill put the phone down, and looked at Rebecca. She was examining the car, trying to find a map or a hint of where they could be going. She popped the trunk, and began moving stuff around.

"Lots of hair dye," she called, "and clothes, but no map or anything like that," Shaun walked around to the front of the car, and opened the driver's seat. He sat down, and placed his hand on the wheel, running it over the leather. He looked around, and saw a slip of paper tucked in the glove compartment. He frowned, and reached over pulling it out.

_"Shaun you there?"_ Bill asked.

"Yeah sorry," he said, and pulled the paper out.

_"Lucy said she's been asking around, and a few people have seen Daniel and Emmaline at a local pub,"_ Shaun opened the paper, and looked down at it.

"The Thistle?" he asked.

_"Uh, yeah. How did you know?" _Shaun got out of the car, and walked over to Rebecca. He handed her the slip of paper.

"I found a piece of paper with the name of the place on it," he answered, "and it also says when they're going to be there," Rebecca took out her phone and put i the address.

"It's not far from here," Rebecca said, and the two walked over to the van.

"Bill, we'll meet you and Lucy there. This time they're not getting away."


	7. Chapter 6

The four Assassins sat in their van, watching the cameras they had hooked up around the bar. It was almost ten thirty, so they were expecting Daniel and Emmaline to show up at the bar any second. Shaun took a sip of his tea, watching the monitors. They had each taken a shift, giving the others a chance to relax in case there was going to be a fight.

Shaun knew that there was going to be a fight, and he wanted to be ready for it.

Shaun placed his tea down, and tapped the desk. Rebecca was curled up under a blanket, asleep, while Bill and Lucy were outside, watching the people walk by, "Come on, where are you?" Shaun muttered, "I know you're going to be there any minute."

Lucy rubbed her hands together, trying to stay warm. Bill looked around, holding a cup of coffee in his hand, "They're not coming," Lucy said, and Bill looked at her.

"Don't think that," he said, "They'll be here," Lucy stuck her hands in her pockets.

Inside the van, Shaun glanced down at his phone, and he heard Rebecca move around, "Anything yet?" she asked, yawning, and Shaun shook his head. She got up, and sat down next to him. She frowned, and looked at the screen, "Shaun..." she said, and he looked up.

"We got them," he said, and got up, opening the back of the van. Bill and Lucy turned around, "We got them," he said, and the three began walking towards the entrance of The Thistle.

The bouncer was a tall man with broad shoulders, bald, with a scar running down the side of his face. They each handed him their IDs, and he looked down, and let them pass.

They were greeted by loud music, girls dressed in dark colors carrying drinks around, and a crowded dance floor. Shaun looked around, trying to spot them. Lucy pushed past two people, and looked over by the tables near the back. She grabbed Bill's arm, and tugged on the sleeve. Bill turned, and Lucy pointed. Bill nodded, and the two began walking over.

Shaun made his way over to the bar, while the band finished playing their song, then the leader singer began speaking in the microphone, "I hope you all enjoyed that song. This next one is called Under the Water," she said, and the band began playing. Shaun sat down at the bar, and looked over his shoulder.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Shaun turned around, "Emmaline," The young woman stood before him, her auburn hair pulled up into a bun. She was wearing black ripped skinny jeans, and a sweater that came off her shoulder, "I knew you would be here."

"Of course you did," she said, and Shaun saw the bouncer staring at him from a distance, "I know why you're here," she said.

"Really, and why's that," He stood up.

"You want to find Desmond," she stated, crossing her arms, and Shaun smiled a bit, "Daniel was right. He knew you would be here."

"That's why your friend is here," he said, looking at the bouncer, and she smirked.

"Somebody has to keep you occupied."

Emmaline threw a drink in his face, then took off running, pushing people aside. Shaun wiped his glasses clean, then took off running after her.

Bill saw her pushing through the crowd, and went to grab her, but felt himself being lifted off the ground, and shoved onto the bar, knocking drinks over. He looked up, and saw the bouncer, who wiped his hands. Bill jumped off the counter, dodging the knife.

Lucy pushed past people, and saw Daniel take off towards the back, "Rebecca we're chasing them again!" she said, and pushed past people, knocking a waitress down.

Daniel jumped out through a window, and landed on the street. He began scaling the wall, Lucy right behind him. Daniel jumped on the roof, and began running. Lucy pulled herself up, and Emmaline hit her in the face with her fist. Lucy almost lost her balance, but grabbed onto the edge, and grabbed Emmaline's hand, pulling her off the roof. Shaun took off after Daniel, while Lucy jumped down, and was greeted by Emmaline's boot to her stomach. Lucy stumbled backwards, but ducked just in time to miss the knife that was meant for her head.

Meanwhile, Bill was struggling to fight the bouncer, as he was literally twice his size. Bill dodged his punches, while moving around the bar. The people moved away from him, pushing each other around. Bill jumped up onto the bar, and the bouncer followed him. Bill grabbed a beer bottle, and broke it, holding it out at the bouncer. The bouncer walked over, and grabbed it from his hand, tossing it to the ground. Bill looked down at it, then up at the bouncer, "Shit," he said, and the bouncer punched him, sending him flying across the bar and onto the floor, knocking over a table. The bouncer walked towards him, and Bill scrambled to his feet, but was knocked down again.

Shaun followed Daniel on the roof, jumping over the gaps, and scaling buildings. Daniel looked down, and grimaced. He jumped up, grabbing onto a ledge, and began pulling himself up. Shaun followed. Daniel looked down again, "Give it up Cross!" Shaun yelled, and Daniel pulled out a gun. He aimed at Shaun's hands, and began firing. The first bullet skimmed his fingers, making Shaun let go and swing into the wall. He looked down, then swung around, pulling himself up onto a narrow window sill. Shaun looked up, and saw Daniel's feet disappear onto the roof. Shaun took a deep breath, and began climbing again.

He pulled himself up, and saw Daniel jumping off the building. Shaun ran over, and looked down over the edge. Daniel had disappeared. Shaun cursed, then he remembered Lucy, "Shit," he said, and began making his way back to where she was.

Lucy got knocked on the ground again, and spit out blood. Emmaline tossed the plank of wood down, and pulled out a knife, walking over towards Lucy. Lucy backed up against the wall, and kicked Emmaline in the stomach, knocking the woman backwards.

Bill got up, and dodged his fist, then punched the bouncer in the face. He lost his balance, and Bill punched him again, knocking the man off his feet. The bouncer fell backwards and hit his head off the wall, knocking him unconscious. Bill wiped his mouth, and looked around at the bar. Everyone was staring at him, "Go back to your drinks," he said, and began walking towards the door.

Rebecca met him outside, "What the hell happened?" she asked, seeing his split lip.

"They had a friend," Bill answered, and the two climbed into the van, "We gotta find Lucy and Shaun."

Lucy got up, and jumped onto Emmaline's back, and began choking her. Emmaline coughed, then walked back into a wall, slamming Lucy against. Lucy let her go, and Emmaline spun around, "I'll tell Desmond you begged for me not to kill you," Emmaline sneered, walking towards Lucy. There was the sound of glass breaking, and Emmaline dropped the knife. She fell face first onto the ground, and Lucy looked up. Shaun was standing behind her, holding a broken bottle.

"Good timing," Lucy said, and got up, wiping her mouth. Shaun dropped the bottle.

"Cross got away," he said, and Rebecca and Bill appeared around the corner.

"We don't need Cross if we have her," Lucy said, looking down at Emmaline, who was unconscious, "She'll tell us what we need to know."

* * *

_The song the band sings is "Under the Water" by The Pretty Reckless. Sorry I haven't been updating more frequently. Until next time!_

_Peace!_


	8. Chapter 7

Desmond heard the door slam, and muffled voices. He opened his eyes and sat up. For once, he was alone in his room. Desmond swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up. He walked over to the door, and pressed his ear against it.

"What do you mean they have her?!" he heard Warren yell, and Desmond couldn't help but smile. They had caught Emmaline, and Vidic was freaking out. Daniel, on the other hand, was calm, which made Desmond nervous.

"I'll deal with it Warren," Daniel answered calmly.

"You better," Warren snapped, "We can't afford anymore mishaps. Either you fix this or else."

"What do you mean by that?" Desmond frowned. The way Warren had said 'or else' meant that it didn't really matter if it was Emmaline who did the research or someone else, he just wanted it done.

"You know what I mean. I can easily find another neurologist who can do the same thing. Fix this, or else," Desmond heard Warren walk away, and a door slammed in the distance. Desmond leaned back from the door, and walked back over to his bed. He sat down, and heard footsteps come towards his door. The door opened, and Daniel stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"Your little friends have caused some problems for me," he said, and began pacing the room. Desmond saw Altaïr and Ezio out of the corner of his eye. They were standing in the corner, watching. That's all they seemed to do lately was watch. They wouldn't say much, which made it more uncomfortable for Desmond. He wished they would say something, "They kidnapped Emmaline."

"Oh that's a shame," Desmond said sarcastically, "Now who is going to pry my brain?" Daniel glared at him, and Desmond heard Ezio snicker, "Such a shame."

"Listen," Daniel snapped, "Vidic will find someone else who will be more than willing to pry you brain, but they won't be as nice as Emmaline."

"So she wasn't willing to pry my brain?" Desmond asked, and Daniel's look narrowed, "You just said that he could find someone more willing to pry my brain," Desmond leaned forward, "So Emmaline didn't want to pry my brain?" Silence, "Seems...odd that she would do something that she doesn't want to do. If you actually cared abou..."

"Shut up Desmond," Daniel snapped, cutting him off. He walked over to him, "You know nothing," he said between clenched teeth, pointing his finger at Desmond.

"You love her," Desmond stated. It wasn't a question, and he knew the answer. He knew the answer by the look in his eyes, "I knew it. I overheard Vidic saying that it doesn't matter if she comes back or not, he just wants the job done," Desmond's words hit a nerve.

Daniel lunged forward, knocking Desmond down on the bed. He wrapped his hands around his throat, and began squeezing. Desmond tried to punch him, but he couldn't. Daniel had his arms pinned down, "You know nothing, you fucking asshole," Daniel hissed, "You have no idea what is going on, you don't know the big picture. Warren's not telling you everything, and he won't," Desmond's vision began getting blurry, "The only thing he cares about is getting his research done, and then after that he's going to make sure no one ever finds you."

The pressure released off Desmond's neck, and he began coughing. Daniel got up, and left, slamming the door. Desmond rubbed his neck, "Well, _amico_, that went well."

"So now you guys talk," Desmond snapped, turning around. Ezio and Altaïr looked at each other, a bit surprised by his reaction.

"Desmond, we have been talking to you," Altaïr said.

"No you've just been standing there staring at me!" Desmond yelled, and Ezio shook his head.

"No, _signore_, we have been talking," Ezio said, "You are the one who just stares at us, _silenzioso_," Desmond frowned, then slowly began to realize what was going on.

"Oh god," he mumbled, "I'm going even crazier," he said, leaning forward and rubbing his temples, "This can't be happening," Desmond looked up, and saw they were standing there. Altaïr was moving his mouth and using his hands, but Desmond couldn't hear him. He stood up, and walked over to the wall, then turned to face them. Ezio was also talking, his hands moving in giant gestures. Desmond's head began spinning, and he leaned back against the wall. His vision became blurry, and then everything went black.

* * *

_I am horrible at updating. I am so sorry and also sorry that this is a shorter chapter. One of my lovely reviewers wanted to see how Desmond was doing, so hopefully the next chapter will be longer._

_Until next time!_

_Peace!_


	9. Chapter 8

"She's not talking."

Shaun opened his eyes. He rolled over and looked at the clock. 3 am. He sighed and sat up, "She hasn't said a word since we've brought her here," It was Bill. Shaun got up and opened his door, squinting at the bright light. Rebecca and Bill turned to look at him.

"Did we wake you?" Rebecca asked, and Shaun put on his glasses.

"No I'm always awake at three am," he answered, and Bill rolled his eyes, "Still nothing?"

"Lucy's been in there for an hour now, and still nothing," Shaun tapped his fingers against the door frame.

"Let me try," he said, and Bill was a bit surprised, "She might say something to me," he said, and Rebecca shrugged.

"It's worth a shot," she said, and the two walked towards the staircase, heading to the holding room.

Rebecca opened the door, and Lucy turned around, "We changing?" she asked, and Shaun nodded, "Good luck," she mumbled, and left, Rebecca following her. The door shut, leaving the two in the room. Shaun crossed his arms, and looked at Emmaline. She stared at him, her gaze piercing through him. Shaun walked over to the table, and pulled out the chair. He spun it around, and sat on it, resting his arms on the back, still silent.

The only sound was the ticking of the clock, then Shaun spoke, "You didn't have to shoot me," he said softly, looking up into her eyes. Emmaline looked away.

"You know I had to," she answered softly, "Daniel was there."

"Yes, Daniel," Shaun said coldly, tapping his fingers on the back of the chair, "You're..._friends_ with him again, are you?" Emmaline looked up at him.

"Don't say it like that," she snapped, and stood up, "You know we were together before I met you," she said, crossing her arms, "Vidic still believes we are."

"Yes but he's not very smart," Shaun pointed out, and watched Emmaline pace the room, "Still, you didn't need to shoot me," Shaun said again, and Emmaline turned around.

"I hate you, you know that?" she said, but Shaun wasn't convinced. He got up and walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulders, "Don't touch me."

"You don't need to pretend. There are no cameras in here," Shaun whispered, and Emmaline threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close, burying her face in his neck. Shaun pulled her close, squeezing her and breathing in her scent.

"God I've missed you," she mumbled into his shirt.

"I've missed you too," he whispered, and pulled back, "It's been so hard pretending that you're dead."

"Do they know?" she asked, and Shaun shook his head.

"They only know what I told them, and that is I thought I killed but I missed," he explained, and she nodded, her arms still around him, "Is Desmond alright?"

"Well, physically, yes, mentally, no," Emmaline said, "His brain thinks that having Ezio and Altair around is normal, and that scares me. I'm afraid he'll become like Daniel," she admitted.

"We can't let that happen," Shaun said, and Emmaline nodded, "We need your help."

"Shaun," she started, but he cut her off.

"We need to get Desmond out of there. Who knows what Vidic will do to him," Shaun said, and Emmaline sighed. She walked over to her chair and sat down, "Emmaline please," Shaun pulled his chair closer and sat down in front of her. He took hold of her hands, squeezing them, "You know what Vidic wants to do to him, and it's probably not pleasant. We need to help him, and we need to do it quickly," Emmaline looked up at him.

"I want to help you, I do, but...Vidic is breathing down my neck about getting this done," she said softly, "It's too risky to try and get him out. Besides, he might have already hired another neurologist to continue my work because I'm not there. Everyone is replaceable for him," Emmaline leaned back in the chair, and Shaun saw the chain around her neck.

"You still have it," he said and she looked down at the chain.

"I do, she said softly, and looked him in the eyes, "I can't promise to get Desmond out, but I can promise to try and keep him from becoming another Daniel," Shaun smiled.

"That's all I ask," he said, and got up, "I'll be back later with some food," Shaun walked over to the door and opened it. He saw Bill in the hall.

"Well?" Bill asked, and Shaun walked over to him.

"She's gonna help us," Bill was shocked.

"How did you manage that?" he asked, as the two made their way to the main level of their base. Shaun smiled.

"A bit of persuasion."


	10. Chapter 9

_"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."_

_"So it may seem."_

Desmond opened his eyes, and saw the room was dark. He sat up, and looked around. Something was wrong. He swung his feet over the bed, and stood up slowly. He heard voices in the hallway, and walked over to the door. He pressed an ear against it, and listened.

"Why is the power gone?"

"I don't know. Vidic is trying to find the source of the problem."

"I can tell you what the problem is. The fact that he's using it all on that damn project with that damn kid that isn't going anywhere."

"You don't know it's not going anywhere."

"Well it's not because Emmaline isn't here."

"The new neurologist should be arriving any day. Vidic doesn't want to waste any more time."

"How does Daniel feel about this?" There was laughter.

"He doesn't know the difference between reality and fantasy."

"Soon Desmond will be like that too."

Desmond leaned back, and breathed out. _So that's how they feel_, he thought, _I'm just going to go crazy anyways,_ Desmond sighed, and walked back over to his bed. He sat down, "So this is what it's like to be forgotten."

"Tell me about it."

Desmond froze, and slowly turned his head. He saw a figure leaning against the wall, his face concealed by the darkness. He could make out that it was a man, but other than that he had no idea who he was. Desmond squinted, trying to get any sense of who he was, "Who are you?" he asked finally.

"Well, I'm you."

Desmond blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Sure enough, it was him, but at the same time, it wasn't. The lights flickered, and lit up the room. Desmond started at himself, "I've lost it," he muttered.

"Not yet," the other Desmond said. Desmond noticed that this Desmond was dressed all in black, compared to his normal white hoodie, "Soon though. You'll be just like Daniel," the other Desmond said, smiling.

Desmond sat down on the bed, trying to figure out how there was two of him. He looked around, but Altair and Ezio were nowhere to be seen, "They're gone. For a while, anyways," the other Desmond said, and walked over to the bed, "You see, they were trying to keep you from losing yourself," Desmond frowned, but his darker half continued, "They're trying to keep your brain from losing track of reality. The good guys, you could say."

"Then why are you here?" Desmond asked, and other Desmond smiled.

"I'm here to make sure you do lose track of reality."

* * *

Lucy looked at the screen while Rebecca typed furiously on the keyboard, "Are we sure we can trust her to help us?" Rebecca asked.

"Shaun seems to trust her," Lucy pointed out.

"But I don't," Rebecca said, "Something seems...off with her," Shaun was on the other side of the room with Bill. The two men were looking at a map, "Doesn't it seem strange that she would willingly help us? Something's not right."

"Rebecca you worry too much," Lucy said, but she had the nagging feeling that Rebecca was right. She wanted to talk to Emmaline herself, and find out who this woman was.

Lucy walked past Bill and Shaun, and went downstairs. She punched in the keycode, and the door unlocked with a hiss. Emmaline looked up, "You here to interrogate me again?" Emmaline asked, crossing her arms. Lucy shook her head, and sat down, placing a cup of coffee on the table. She pulled out a small brown paper bag, and placed it on the table, "What's this?"

"Food," Lucy answered, and Emmaline picked the bag up. She reached her hand in, and pulled out a muffin, "You must be hungry," Emmaline didn't say anything, but she began eating the muffin. Lucy saw the chain around her neck, "That's a nice necklace," she commented.

"It's just a chain," Emmaline said, and took a sip of the coffee.

"It's nice," Lucy said again, "Anything on it?" Emmaline stopped, and looked up at her. Slowly, she took the chain off her neck, and placed it on the table. Lucy saw a ring on the end, "You were married?"

"No, engaged," she answered, "Still engaged, technically, but...it's complicated."

"Well, I'm a sucker for a good love story," Lucy admitted, leaning forward on the table.

"I can tell you now, it won't end well," Emmaline said, and put the chain back around her neck.

"Why do you say that?" Lucy asked.

"We're on different sides of this war. There no way we can be together," Emmaline explained, "He's an Assassin, I'm a Templar. Sworn enemies."

"Wait...you're...engaged to an Assassin?" Lucy asked, and Emmaline nodded, "Do I know him?"

"Better than you think."

Then it hit her.

"Shaun," Lucy whispered, "You're her. The woman that he won't talk about, and now...it all makes sense," Lucy said, "But...he said that you and Daniel..."

"We used to be together," Emmaline explained, "That was until I met Shaun, then it changed," Lucy was silent, "It's a long story."

"I have time."

"No you don't," Emmaline said, standing up, "You need to find Desmond, and fast. I can guarantee you that Vidic already replaced me, and he will want this project to continue," She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out a map. She unfolded it, "Do you have a pen?" Lucy nodded and pulled one of out her pocket, "Here," Emmaline said, circling a wooded area, "This is where Vidic is keeping Desmond," she said, and sat back down. Lucy picked up the map, and looked up at her.

"Thank you," she said, and left, heading back upstairs.

"Bill, Shaun, I know where he is," Lucy said, and they turned to look at her. Lucy put the map down, and pointed at the circle, "We leave in a half hour."


End file.
